Employee giving month kicks off

The NIC Foundation is holding an employee giving month throughout the month of February.

Employee Giving month gives faculty and staff an opportunity to give money back to the college to help provide the foundation with funding for scholarships, grant awards and specific program needs.

Pamela Noah, a development coordinator with the NIC Foundation, said that there was a record participation last year of 59 percent donations from full-time employees.

This year the foundation is looking for 100 percent participation from approximately 518 full-time employees. The minimum donation is five dollars.

“Employee participation is important to the overall fundraising efforts of the college,” Noah said. “It demonstrates the commitment of the NIC employees to the mission of the college, and allows the NIC Foundation to better raise funds within our community.”

Noah also emphasized that donations to the foundation are tax deductible, and that Idaho residents who itemize are eligible for a state tax credit.

Vice President for Instruction Lita Burns said that the Employee Giving month gives the employees of NIC an opportunity to assist with funding alongside the community surrounding the NIC.

“When we are asking our greater community to support scholarships, and to support the good work that the college is doing, we also are part of that greater community,” Burns said. “We have a responsibility not only as an employee to do that, but we have a responsibility as a community member of supporting the goals and missions of North Idaho College.”

“It’s a way to give them a little money back so that they can use it to fund the programs and things that make this college a success,” said Geoff Carr, an instructor and adviser for the journalism program. “NIC gives to me a lot; they give me a job and financial security, and it’s the least I can do.

This year there will be an element of friendly competition between the faculty and staff assemblies. Garry Stark of the staff assembly challenged Kathie O’Brien during the board of trustees meeting to reach the 100 percent goal, which she accepted.

O’Brien said that rewards for the competition are still a work in progress.

Employees who purchase raffle tickets for the foundation’s Really Big Raffle are also considered to be contributors toward Employee Giving month. Each raffle ticket is priced at a hundred dollars, and the grand prize is a house in Coeur d’Alene Place.